G4 to top bill at new-look Lytham Hall Proms concert

Staff and volunteers at the Hall are to take over the full organisation of the event, which will take place on Sunday, August 25, after being organised and underwritten for the last three years by Lytham Festival organisers Cuffe and Taylor.

The 2021, 2022 an 2023 concerts headlined by Russell Watson, Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins respectively attracted bumper audiences and raised thousands of pounds for Hall funds – now with the experience and skills on offer across Lytham Hall’s staff and volunteers, management there say it has been decided they have the confidence to take it on themselves.

The Hall’s general manager Peter Anthony said: “We will forever be grateful to Cuffe and Taylor for everything they do for us.

"Through their guidance and expertise, it has given us the confidence to take on the Proms event in-house, especially with the enormous voluntary workforce we have here at Lytham Hall.

“The management, staff and volunteers deal with many thousands of people on a regular basis, including Club Day, various car shows, open air theatre, outdoor and indoor events, and of course not forgetting the hugely successful Antiques Roadshow.

"We now feel we can embark on organising the Proms event ourselves with some slight changes to the format and a re-think to accommodate more parking and limiting the number of attendees.

“The help and support that Cuffe and Taylor has given us is nothing short of amazing. Their support still continues as this year they are giving a considerable donation to set us off in our first year.”

Cuffe and Taylor co-founder Peter Taylor added: “To have seen Lytham Hall rise from the ashes over the last few years has been a joy to watch. The team are committed, passionate and completely capable of taking the Proms event forward and we will always be there to help guide and advise whenever they need us.

“Cuffe and Taylor is proud to support this great charity and to have helped raise funds for the continued restoration of this significant heritage asset.

"‘The Proms’ has always belonged to the people of Lytham and Daniel Cuffe and I are proud to have been the custodians of it for the past 14 years.

"With the evolution of Lytham Festival, we felt that Lytham Hall was the natural progression as the host venue. We feel comfort that the Proms will continue at Lytham Hall and believe it will be a great success under the new custodians.”

This year’s bill-toppers G4 will top the bill, are celebrating 20 years since their X Factor success. The group – Duncan Sandilands, Jonathan Ansell, Mike Christie and Jai McDowall – have sold more than two million albums and have become one of the most successful finalists of the ITV show.

G4 will be supported by one of England’s leading and best-known sopranos, Laura Wright, accompanied by her guitarist John Bailey. Laura’s career has been immensely successful with a reputation that has crowned her ‘Queen of Anthems’.

She has opened the Invictus Games in Sydney, Rugby World Cup, British Grand Prix, Diamond Jubilee concert and enjoyed a No 1 chart position on Gary Barlow’s Sing album.

The event will again be hosted by BBC Radio Lancashire presenter Graham Liver.

Hall deputy manager Paul Lomax said: “This year the show will start around 3pm, with an array of further support artists, while the audience settle in to the afternoon with their picnics, strawberries and champagne.

"It will finish at 7.30pm, allowing everyone to leave the parkland during daylight.

“This year the stage will be positioned across the front of the Hall itself, facing the huge East Lawn.

"This will make a superb backdrop and allow for further parking onsite. We also hope to have the new paddock car park in operation by then, which will be reinforced by a mesh surface, allowing the grass to grow through so as not to spoil the landscape.

“We are so looking forward to an afternoon and early evening of spectacular performances that all the family can enjoy. It will be a flag waving and patriotic show that will end the summer on a high.”

Tickets are available via Lythamhall.org.uk or direct via www.seaty.co.uk/lythamproms.

There will be a pre-bookable accessible area close to the front with an unobstructed view, while a limited number of tickets for a VIP Marquee will also be on sale which includes a special

Champagne Afternoon Tea and reserved seats at the front of the stage.

Parking tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis, with allocated parking available for Blue badge holders. Pedestrian ticket holders will also be admitted via the rear Forest Drive gate for the first time.